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Heels for Men
- Thread starter jj11
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I've got a bit of a reputation on here for being a bit andro so I've got an open-mind. That said,I think heels on men could look good,depending on the shoe and the approach with which one wears them. I mean,imo,if I saw a man wearing heels with Gap khaki's or a suit I'd automatically assume,like the rest,this was more fetish than style. But there are some boots,admittedly,I would definitely try....like those tabi boots MMM does.
But,thus far,(no offense to anybody)the only person I've ever really seen with heels(besides Ziggy Stardust) that actually looked brilliant was Filip Arickx from A.F. Vandevorst. He was wearing those butterscotch knee-boots from their S/S 01 collection and they fit him perfectly because,although,they were heels the whole style of the boot was rather militant so it was really kind of sexless and fit his style rather nicely.
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But,thus far,(no offense to anybody)the only person I've ever really seen with heels(besides Ziggy Stardust) that actually looked brilliant was Filip Arickx from A.F. Vandevorst. He was wearing those butterscotch knee-boots from their S/S 01 collection and they fit him perfectly because,although,they were heels the whole style of the boot was rather militant so it was really kind of sexless and fit his style rather nicely.
(image: firstview)
catwalkxxqueen
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eew...I don't find heels on men attractive at all
altamiranyc
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At minimum, it's passé fashion, per former French nobleman.leyla m. said:
"just looks like?"
Is that stereotyping motivations?
So how would you feel if I said, "people who are really into Haute couture and prêt-à-porter designers are fake?" Its the same type of generalization. Each persons motivation is as unique as a snowflake. As no two flakes are alike, no two motivations are alike.
Problem is it takes time and effort to think outside the box. People who are stuck with generalities about how a man "should" look could almost be understood through a study done by Martin Seligman at The University of Penn. Just as his dogs where punished for trying to step outside of their box, so people are punished for jumping out of societie's standard box. Eventhough we live in more liberal society now, people will still stay stuck in their original box with respect to traditional gender boundaries (its safer)-- as some of Seligman's dogs didn't even try to step out of their court EVEN when the other side was safe. Seligman called his theory learned helplessness. In this context, its almost like "fashion traditions and learned helplessness"
I actually have a theory on why society is constrained by traditional gender boundaries. For the most part, we live in a male dominated society. Recent U.N. studies have revealed that men control 95% of the world's economic resources. So for purposes of this theory I'll define men as the "in power group," and women as the "out of power group."
It is usually traditionally acceptable for any "out of power" group to aspire to the ranks of the "in power group." Upward mobility is generally admirable and respected, irregardless of the country or venue being looked at. Just look at the American word "tomboy." It's cultural acceptance symbolizes societies acceptance of the "out of power group" aspiring to the "in power groups" status.
And then look at the word "sissy." Its stigma symbolizes societies rejection of the "in power group" identifying with the "out of power group." Upward mobility is generally acceptable, but downward assimilation is generally rejected--especially in the context of a male dominated society.
Just a theory. I fully expect for the stereotypes to continue. However, I know better than to "assume" that no one will, no one won't, no one is waiting. As there is a time and a place for everything in life, in the broader picture of fashion, some will, some won't, so what...someone is waiting (even if its not me who is the man in heels).
hi kneehighs 
i actually am open to anything more than the average person.. i merely answered someones question why some think its NOT fashion but more of a fetish.. if you scroll back, you will see pictures of men wearing heels who are not necesseraliy wearing fashionable clothes . by fashionable i am talking about anything thats remotely of the season and/or stylish. this is not the case here and therefore the idea of it being fashion is not appropriate. however thats my opinion but i nevertheless think i am speaking for quite a few people on this board
i am in no ways generalising or stereotyping... believe me i've seen it all and still see it everyday. i work in THE fashion industry where all is happening and the last thing i can be is closed minded
i would have said the same thing if one of our female members wore some non fashionable look and asked why its NOT fashionable or why the shoes are not fashion...
i actually am open to anything more than the average person.. i merely answered someones question why some think its NOT fashion but more of a fetish.. if you scroll back, you will see pictures of men wearing heels who are not necesseraliy wearing fashionable clothes . by fashionable i am talking about anything thats remotely of the season and/or stylish. this is not the case here and therefore the idea of it being fashion is not appropriate. however thats my opinion but i nevertheless think i am speaking for quite a few people on this board
i am in no ways generalising or stereotyping... believe me i've seen it all and still see it everyday. i work in THE fashion industry where all is happening and the last thing i can be is closed minded
i would have said the same thing if one of our female members wore some non fashionable look and asked why its NOT fashionable or why the shoes are not fashion...
alwaysacitygirl
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I actually do think men in heels could work.. except the higher the heels are, the more awkward it looks to me. If guys are into it, go for it.. but it might take some getting used to.
I’m glad to see this thread beginning to be a genuine discussion, instead of the familiar “eewww” vs. “rock it!” form of debate, so I’d like to put in my own contribution.
First, I must agree with leyla m that most men wear heels to participate in some limited way in the Woman Experience, though I suspect not many of them are willing to admit that even to themselves. I know it took me many years before I was comfortable acknowledging the fact. By the same token, many women who put on men’s clothing, whether it be a boyfriend’s shirt or some uber-trendy combat boots, are consciously participating to their own chosen extent in the Man Experience. As kneehighs has said, it is society’s view of the difference between those forms of behavior that is really at issue here.
Within my own long lifetime I have seen pants for women go from a form of attire prohibited in offices and generally regarded as the province of lesbians and mad artistes, to a mainstream, attractive form of dress. As late as the 1950’s, a number of psychiatrists declared that a woman who wore high heels with jeans was expressing sexual confusion (that was before the now-familiar term “gender dysphoria” was coined). I have also lived through – with some enthusiasm! – the heels-for-men era of the 1970’s, when the term “unisex” covered a wider spectrum than ever.
And one last tribute to leyla m: you are right, that only a few of the men here focus primarily on the fashion potential of the heels. But give us time, please – we are at the Amelia Bloomer stage of agitating for our rights, and if we get it wrong it is not for lack of trying. It is a curious movement, without earthshaking significance for any but ourselves, and to those of you who at least withhold your scorn, and more so to those of you who tentatively applaud, thank you – you make our lives easier!
First, I must agree with leyla m that most men wear heels to participate in some limited way in the Woman Experience, though I suspect not many of them are willing to admit that even to themselves. I know it took me many years before I was comfortable acknowledging the fact. By the same token, many women who put on men’s clothing, whether it be a boyfriend’s shirt or some uber-trendy combat boots, are consciously participating to their own chosen extent in the Man Experience. As kneehighs has said, it is society’s view of the difference between those forms of behavior that is really at issue here.
Within my own long lifetime I have seen pants for women go from a form of attire prohibited in offices and generally regarded as the province of lesbians and mad artistes, to a mainstream, attractive form of dress. As late as the 1950’s, a number of psychiatrists declared that a woman who wore high heels with jeans was expressing sexual confusion (that was before the now-familiar term “gender dysphoria” was coined). I have also lived through – with some enthusiasm! – the heels-for-men era of the 1970’s, when the term “unisex” covered a wider spectrum than ever.
And one last tribute to leyla m: you are right, that only a few of the men here focus primarily on the fashion potential of the heels. But give us time, please – we are at the Amelia Bloomer stage of agitating for our rights, and if we get it wrong it is not for lack of trying. It is a curious movement, without earthshaking significance for any but ourselves, and to those of you who at least withhold your scorn, and more so to those of you who tentatively applaud, thank you – you make our lives easier!
softgrey said:listen honey...to each his own...
but that falls under the category of FETISH...not FASHION...
there a special websites for people like you...don't expect fashion people to jump for joy over your personal fetish...
it's NOT fashion...
and i'm sure it appeals to you for very different reasons..
this is a FASHION FORUM ...please stick to the subject matter...
if you have some sort of shoe fetish terry...then i think you may be in the wrong place...
Terms like "listen honey" are condescending, an attempt to garner some sort of controlling advantage over others.
"Ewes" are female sheep, not to be confused with a comment indicating one's approval or disapproval.
"Fetish" is defined by Merriam Webster as the following:
Main Entry: fe·tish
Variant(s
also fe·tich /'fe-tish also 'fE-/Function: noun
Etymology: French & Portuguese; French fétiche, from Portuguese feitiço, from feitiço artificial, false, from Latin facticius factitious
1 a : an object (as a small stone carving of an animal) believed to have magical power to protect or aid its owner; broadly : a material object regarded with superstitious or extravagant trust or reverence b : an object of irrational reverence or obsessive devotion : [SIZE=-1]PREPOSSESSION[/SIZE] c : an object or bodily part whose real or fantasied presence is psychologically necessary for sexual gratification and that is an object of fixation to the extent that it may interfere with complete sexual expression
2 : a rite or cult of fetish worshipers
3 : [SIZE=-1]FIXATION[/SIZE]
The wear of heels by either sex can fall into this category. Whether it's a fetish or simply one's choice of fashion has to do with the individual, not the individual's genetic sex.
I've worn heels for years. I like their look and the way I feel while wearing them.
That's simply my personal choice of fashion, not a fetish, and I think the vast majority of men who wear heels, their wives, and friends, both understand, and would agree.
But let's go down your train of thought a bit further. When women cut their hair short, is it fashion or a fetish? How short? Where's the defining line? How high a heel does it have to be before it's no longer a fashion? Yes, I'm talking about women wearing heels, not men! Four inches? Five inches? Six?
Again, getting back to the definitive differences between the terms "fashion" and "fetish," I hope you're beginning to see that throwing the term "fetish" against every fashion with which you happen to disagree does no one any good, and certainly doesn't further the discussion to any appreciable degree, much like saying "eewe!," which is merely a female sheep.
If you want to be a sheep and follow the rest of the crowd, please do so. But fashion trends aren't made by people following the crowd. They're made by people simply doing what they want to do, and any serious student of fashion history knows that designers have a very difficult time changing market trends, that it's really the consumer that changes market trends, and it's usually a few key individuals who're comfortable going against the crowd which lead to any appreciable changes in market trends.
Men wearing heels for fashion vs fetish could also be the diference between a guy wearing heels at home.. doing something, or even wearing heels while dressed in a fetish manor (catsuit, drag, etc) vs a guy who happens to be combining heels with typical male clothing. In other words, the biggest diference between fashion and fetish is motive.
I'm often in Miami/Lauderdale. A fashion statement that was new a year ago there is still unheard of in the city I live in on the west coast of FL. Combining heels in your fashion statement in Miami Beach might be pushing the envelop (Alajandro), but where I live it would be scandalous.
I'm often in Miami/Lauderdale. A fashion statement that was new a year ago there is still unheard of in the city I live in on the west coast of FL. Combining heels in your fashion statement in Miami Beach might be pushing the envelop (Alajandro), but where I live it would be scandalous.
pradalicious
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where can I find the Rick Owens boots?
altamiranyc
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My opinion is that it’s not so much the high heels in and of themselves that women object to, but the feelings that women get from wearing high heels that women have learned to be an exclusive feminine experience. Just as life events really have no meaning until you ascribe meaning to the event, high heels in and of themselves really have no meaning until women learn to ascribe meaning to wearing them. And what is that meaning?
I think it begins at a really early age with exposure to mom’s meaning, the media’s meaning, and friend’s meaning of what it means to wear high heels. But the most powerful seeds begin to be deeply planted during adolescence. It is an age when girls start dressing to be sexy. Girls are desperate for boys’ attention and being dressed sexy means to get boys attention. And to get boys attention is to be desired. And to be desired is a very powerful positive emotion. The association of wearing heels with being desired by boys is such a compellingly positive experience in adolescence, that the seeds of this permanent association have been laid for a lifetime. Maybe this is why some think that a man who wears high heels must be gay.
The seeds of this association continue to be cultivated during young adulthood when the women is searching for a lifetime mate. The positive early associations of being desired by boys are reinforced again and again as the woman relives the hopes and dreams of being desired by men, of being social, talkative, and flirtative with men… and ultimately of having sex. Sex is a final sweet fruit of this association.
Granted, in the post feminist world, women aren’t supposed to admit that wearing high heels is all about seeking male attention. Sure the media may say that woman should choose their clothing/shoes to please themselves, not men. But let’s be honest for a minute. How many women do you know that get all made up (including the heels) to just sit at home on their own? Society has trained women to make themselves attractive by wearing high heels to “attract” someone.
So if a man chooses to wear high heels, he is thus presumably trying to be the “attractive” one. Therefore, who is going to desire women if men are now wearing heels? Especially in relationships? Women might be saying to themselves, “Who is going to desire ME if men are now doing what I’ve been doing all my life to be desired?” If a woman’s man is supposedly acting like a woman by wearing high heels, where does that leave her? The man that women want to attract seems to no longer be there.
The thing is, while being desirable may be one reason for wearing high heels, there are still other valid reasons that are less culturally taboo for women to share with men. What about just feeling good about oneself? Because the heels enhance the outfit, the slender body shape of a man, the length of his legs, the arch of his posture, the elegance of his gait? No one dresses exclusively to be desired, but also to feel good about themself. Therein lies the truly equal ground thats only fair for men to share with women.
I think it begins at a really early age with exposure to mom’s meaning, the media’s meaning, and friend’s meaning of what it means to wear high heels. But the most powerful seeds begin to be deeply planted during adolescence. It is an age when girls start dressing to be sexy. Girls are desperate for boys’ attention and being dressed sexy means to get boys attention. And to get boys attention is to be desired. And to be desired is a very powerful positive emotion. The association of wearing heels with being desired by boys is such a compellingly positive experience in adolescence, that the seeds of this permanent association have been laid for a lifetime. Maybe this is why some think that a man who wears high heels must be gay.
The seeds of this association continue to be cultivated during young adulthood when the women is searching for a lifetime mate. The positive early associations of being desired by boys are reinforced again and again as the woman relives the hopes and dreams of being desired by men, of being social, talkative, and flirtative with men… and ultimately of having sex. Sex is a final sweet fruit of this association.
Granted, in the post feminist world, women aren’t supposed to admit that wearing high heels is all about seeking male attention. Sure the media may say that woman should choose their clothing/shoes to please themselves, not men. But let’s be honest for a minute. How many women do you know that get all made up (including the heels) to just sit at home on their own? Society has trained women to make themselves attractive by wearing high heels to “attract” someone.
So if a man chooses to wear high heels, he is thus presumably trying to be the “attractive” one. Therefore, who is going to desire women if men are now wearing heels? Especially in relationships? Women might be saying to themselves, “Who is going to desire ME if men are now doing what I’ve been doing all my life to be desired?” If a woman’s man is supposedly acting like a woman by wearing high heels, where does that leave her? The man that women want to attract seems to no longer be there.
The thing is, while being desirable may be one reason for wearing high heels, there are still other valid reasons that are less culturally taboo for women to share with men. What about just feeling good about oneself? Because the heels enhance the outfit, the slender body shape of a man, the length of his legs, the arch of his posture, the elegance of his gait? No one dresses exclusively to be desired, but also to feel good about themself. Therein lies the truly equal ground thats only fair for men to share with women.
FallingAngels216
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alright new to this...
alright recently my friends have gotten me into girl pants which can be a whole other topic...and discussion...and im so glad i found a place like this to sort of discuss this..but with girl pants then tend to be longer fitting and with my normal sneakers they just bunch up around my ankles...im a 16 year old male about 5'7 110 lbs so its always been hard for me to find pants that fit...and i think i pull of girl pants pretty nicely but i feel that if i were to wear heels with those pants that it would make the outfit look much nicer and flow more smoothly...of course i could never do that until i moved out of my house or my mom would absolutely freak...i really dont care what people think of me but since i would have to live at home with my mom...obviously this isnt an option right now but when i turn 18 i would like to try this style...but i think pointy toed shoes are sort of scary and look funny...but thats just imo....so just figured id put in my two cents...wonder if this board is even still active anymore...B)
alright recently my friends have gotten me into girl pants which can be a whole other topic...and discussion...and im so glad i found a place like this to sort of discuss this..but with girl pants then tend to be longer fitting and with my normal sneakers they just bunch up around my ankles...im a 16 year old male about 5'7 110 lbs so its always been hard for me to find pants that fit...and i think i pull of girl pants pretty nicely but i feel that if i were to wear heels with those pants that it would make the outfit look much nicer and flow more smoothly...of course i could never do that until i moved out of my house or my mom would absolutely freak...i really dont care what people think of me but since i would have to live at home with my mom...obviously this isnt an option right now but when i turn 18 i would like to try this style...but i think pointy toed shoes are sort of scary and look funny...but thats just imo....so just figured id put in my two cents...wonder if this board is even still active anymore...B)
I don't think they were produced, but if you look closely at them you'll see they're not all that different from some styles currently on the market, with the exception of the denim heel and platform. With a discarded pair of jeans and some glue...pradalicious said:
It depends on the size of your feet and the trousers you're wearing them with. I recently changed from wider, flared to skinny trousers and my feet look way to big in shoes and especially heels with longer points.FallingAngels216 said:
So I prefer shorter pointed heels or round ones now.
Can't find trousers in my size too (26/27 in), so I take the girls also. When they are made with stretch fabric they fit very well.
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